Having been elected in the
fiercely-contested July 14 governorship election, former Minister of Mines and
Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, was Tuesday sworn-in as the new Governor
of Ekiti State, with President Muhamadu Buhari expressing confidence in the
ability of the new governor to deliver democracy dividends to the people.

Fayemi trounced the candidate of
the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the poll, Prof Kolapo Olusola, with a
marginal victory of about 19,028 votes.

Buhari, who was represented at
the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss
Mustapha, said Fayemi as a former member of the Federal Executive Council
(FEC), had persistently been disturbing him about the development of the state.

Fayemi, who was clad in white
Agbada and brown ‘Awolowo cap’ to march, was sworn-in by the Chief Judge of the
State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, amid cheers from admirers and party members,
who were decked in Aso Ebi and filled the main bowl of the Ekiti Parapo
pavilion along old Iyin road, Ado-Ekiti capital city, at about 11.45am.

Earlier, the Deputy
Governor-elect, Chef Bisi Egbeyemi took the oaths of office and allegiance at
about 12.20pm.

The Governor also inspected the
guard of honour, after a police parade that ushered in his government.

The President added that Fayemi,
assuming the governorship of the state, would afford him the opportunity to
redirect Ekiti to the path of greatness and abundance in terms of economic
prosperity.

Buhari pleaded passionately with
Ekiti voters over his re-election bid in 2019, saying he has a lot to offer
Nigerians if given a second term during the contest with former Vice President
Atiku Abubakar and presidential candidate of the PDP.

He said: “I know Dr Fayemi very
well, he has always cherished anything that has to do with the development of
this state. As Ekiti governor between 2010 and 2014, he instituted some
laudable projects that impacted positively on the lives of the people and this
pavilion was one of them.

“I know that he will do what is
right to justify this mandate. I charge him not to relent in his efforts to
serve Ekiti with passion, commitment and candour.

“FG has given supports to states
in the areas of bailouts, budget support, ecological funds and Paris club
refund, of which Ekiti was a beneficiary.

“We have extended the standard
rail project to Ekiti and the construction of the Federal Secretariat will soon
be completed. The FG is also planning to dualise Ado-Akure road and reconstruct
Ado-Ikare road for the use of our people. We have also built another 133kva
power source in Ekiti that will be commissioned soon.

“As of today, 11,000 Ekiti
indigenes are benefiting from the N-power programme of this administration.

“We are confident that Dr. Fayemi
will help cover the lost grounds brought by past administration. From today,
you will begin to have a new breath in Ekiti under the present government,”
Buhari said.

Speaking earlier, Fayemi said his
government would work hard to bring succour to the populace, by removing the
canker worm of corruption that has eaten deep into the state’s fabrics under
the PDP-led government of Governor Ayodele Fayose.

He revealed that all the finances
of the last administration shall be reviewed but not in a vindictive manner,
saying this became imperative to ensure that the culture of prudence and
financial propriety are brought to bear in the governance of the state.

Fayemi lamented that the state is
indebted to the tune of N170 billion being loans taken to undertake some
projects during the last administration, assuring however that the challenge
won’t impede his government from delivering dividends of democracy to the
citizens.

The former minister stated that
Ekiti under him won’t slide and degenerate to the level of allowing school
children to pay various taxes in their quests to receive formal education.

He promised that his government
shall reinstate the N5,000 social security to the elderly and make tremendous
positive impacts in the areas of agriculture, social investment and economy.

“In the last four years, Ekiti
was governed by a rudderless, inept and egregiously corrupt government, which
was led by those who deceived our people through the instrument of stomach
infrastructure.

“In this context, never again
will Ekiti slip into the hands of those who knew nothing about governance,
never again shall we allow our school children to pay taxes, never again shall
we abandon the burgeoning resources at Ikogosi Warm Spring to waste, never
again shall we allow our judiciary to be debased by draconian government and
never again shall the most educated State like Ekiti be apostle of stomach
infrastructure that has made us laughing stock.

“In our quests for economic
rejuvenation, our government shall invest heavily in Youth in commercial
Agriculture, because Ekiti is basically agrarian, reactivate community based
projects, tap into our tourist potential and ensure security of local and
foreign investors.

“As of today, the debt profile
and other financial commitment hanging on the state look challenging, but with
your supports, we shall overcome. The light shall shine again. We shall
celebrate our core values of scholarship, knowledge , hardwork, unity and strong
characters bequeathed to us by our founding fathers.

“We appreciate our fathers who
fought for the creation of this state in 1996 and I want to assure them that we
shall keep the flag flying and make sure we don’t disappoint them by fulfilling
their dreams and aspirations within the next four years.

“We shall network with the
federal government and other local and international bodies to bring the
dividends of democracy Ekiti people deserve to their doorsteps,” Fayemi
assured.